Emin “Eddie” Egriu, a Buffalo contractor, was ruled off the ballot Wednesday in his attempt to challenge Rep. Louise M. Slaughter of Fairport in the Democratic Party primary.

After three days of testimony, State Supreme Court Justice Timothy J. Drury found that Egriu, 48, and his crew had collected only 1,017 valid signatures from registered Democrats.

He needed 1,250 to challenge Slaughter, 81, who is seeking her 13th term in the House of Representatives.

Egriu and James Ostrowski, his attorney, said they will be appealing Drury’s ruling and promised to file all needed court papers with the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court in Rochester by Friday’s deadline for that court’s session next Wednesday.

Egriu, an unsuccessful State Senate candidate four years ago, said he also plans to send his supporters out on the streets again to collect 3,500 signatures from voters of any political party as he strives to create a third-party line for the Sept. 14 primaries and the November general election.

“Slaughter’s not letting Democratic voters have a choice, and the underprivileged people of her district have been neglected by her for too long,” Egriu said.

He and Ostrowski noted that a paid Slaughter congressional staff aide sat with her lawyers all three days of the election law hearing in Buffalo. Six Erie County Board of Elections workers, they also noted, testified to actively campaigning for Slaughter this summer.

Ostrowski said the third-party petition has to be mailed to the state Election Board in Albany and be postmarked by Tuesday to be considered.

Dr. Jill Rowland, 40,a Buffalo dentist, has received the Republican Party’s endorsement to run against Slaughter in November.

In the heavily Democratic congressional district, the GOP candidate doesn’t give voters a true choice. Egriu said.

mgryta@buffnews.comnull